Desh security agencies launch crackdown on NE militants

Shillong, Dec 10: Bangladesh security agencies have launched a fresh crackdown on suspected hideouts of Indian militants in its soil. The crackdown has been carried out under the direct supervision of the commander of Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) based at Netrakhona bordering Garo Hills.

Confirming this a well placed source said the flush out operations carried out in the neighboring nation follows a series of meetings that the diplomats and intelligence officials of both the countries have had in the past one year.

The Research Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Border Security Forces (BSF) have been sharing dossiers with Bangladesh Directorate General of Field Intelligence (DGFI) and BGB on the presence of Indian militant in their country.

This time around, the Bangladesh security apparatus is vigorously on the lookout for Indian militant camps and leaders to make the high–level Director General of BSF–BGB meeting scheduled later this month “more meaningful”, stated a top level source on condition of anonymity.

There are 50-odd villages that the Bangladesh RAB have raided and keep under scanner in the past four to five days, stated the source, besides divulging that that the Indian security apparatus, especially at the Commandant level have been casually and unofficially informed about the crackdown carried out against the suspected hideouts. The operation areas are the 30–odd hideouts which India has officially submitted at different levels of meetings held with their Bangladesh counterparts. These are suspected bases of Indian militant groups like the ULFA, NDFB (S), NLFT (B), HNLC and the GNLA.

The source did not confirm reports that more than a couple of top rank militants have been apprehended by the Bangladesh forces. Notably, the arrest of the ULFA top leaders and the GNLA leader Champion Sangma came into the limelight when the media finally exposed the drama, on how they were pushed to India through Dawki.